Methods and systems for exchanging/transferring gift cards

ABSTRACT

Methods and systems for exchanging various forms of value, including coins, currency, credit, debit, and/or bank account funds, for prepaid cash cards, credit cards, phone cards, and the like. In one embodiment, a value exchange machine includes a coin input region, a coin sorting/counting apparatus, a card reader, and a communications facility configured to communicate with a remote computer network. In another embodiment, a value exchange system includes one or more of the value exchange machines connected to one or more remote computers via a communications link. A user wishing to purchase, for example, a prepaid cash card can visit one of the value exchange machines, select the desired transaction, and pay for the card with coins, currency, a credit card, a debit card, and/or bank account funds. After confirming payment, the value exchange machine dispenses the card to the user.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/647,594, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/504,436, which is a U.S. national phase application ofPCT/US03/04603, filed Feb. 14, 2003, which claims priority to thefollowing U.S. Provisional Patent Applications: U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/357,331, filed Feb. 15, 2002; U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/357,555, filed Feb. 15, 2002; U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/419,735, filed Oct. 18, 2002; and U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 60/424,377, filed Nov. 6, 2002. This applicationincorporates all of the patent Applications listed above in theirentireties by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application relates generally to methods and systems for exchangingone form of value for another form of value and, more particularly, tomethods and systems for transferring value to an account, or forproviding or reloading prepaid cash cards, credit cards, phone cards,event tickets, and the like.

BACKGROUND

Various vending machines are configured to dispense selected products tousers in exchange for exact amounts of money. Such machines include, forexample, food dispensing machines, stamp dispensing machines, ticketdispensing machines, and the like. Other machines are configured tocount arbitrary numbers and denominations of coins received from users.One such coin-counting machine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,079to Molbak (“the '079 Patent to Molbak”), which is incorporated herein inits entirety by reference. In one embodiment, the Molbak coin-countingmachine can dispense a redeemable voucher to a user for an amountrelated to the value of coins received from the user. This redeemablevoucher can be redeemed for cash or merchandise at, for example, apoint-of-sale (POS) location in the retail outlet where the machine islocated.

Machines also exist for dispensing prepaid telephone cards to users.Such machines typically dispense a selected phone card to a user afterthe user has deposited a requisite amount of money in the machine. Inaddition, prepaid long-distance accounts and wireless cell phoneaccounts also exist whereby a service carrier maintains an account ofavailable minutes for each individual user. Such accounts are oftenrechargeable and are associated with individual personal identificationnumbers (PINs). To start an account, a user may initially purchase aphone card containing, for example, sixty minutes of long-distancetelephone usage. The number of available minutes are depleted as theuser makes phone calls via the account. Some accounts allow the user toadd minutes to his/her account by paying for additional time with, forexample, a credit card. In this way, the user is able to add minutes tohis/her account as the need arises, or to fit their particular budget.

Other methods exist by which customers can purchase prepaid creditcards. In one such method, a customer gives a cashier at a POSsufficient funds to cover the value of a prepaid credit card and anyadditional service fees charged by the retail outlet. In return for thefunds, the cashier provides the customer with a receipt that includes aunique identification number and the telephone number of a credit cardissuer. The customer then calls the telephone number and provides thecredit card issuer with the identification number from the receipt andcertain other personal information. Such personal information caninclude the customer's mailing address and/or the customer's socialsecurity number. The credit card issuer then provides a credit cardaccount number to the customer over the telephone. The customer canbegin using this number for credit card purchases immediately bytelephone, mail, or the Internet. The credit card issuer also mails anembossed credit card to the customer that the customer can begin usingas soon as it arrives.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partially schematic isometric view of a value exchangemachine configured in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged front elevation view of a drawer assembly of thevalue exchange machine of FIG. 1 configured in accordance with anembodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a routine for exchanging variousforms of value using the value exchange machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating various forms of value exchangeableusing the value exchange machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating components of a value exchangesystem configured in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a routine implemented by the valueexchange system of FIG. 5 in one embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating a routine for receiving atransaction selection from a user in one embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating a routine for inputting variousforms of payment in one embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating a routine for completing aselected transaction in one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This application incorporates the following U.S. patents in theirentireties by reference: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,746,299; 6,047,808; 5,988,348;6,196,371; 6,116,402; 6,349,972; and 5,909,793.

This application further incorporates the following co-pending U.S.patent Applications in their entireties by reference: U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/661,956, filed Sep. 14, 2000; U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/662,414, filed Sep. 14, 2000; U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/661,955, filed Sep. 14, 2000; U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/661,048, filed Sep. 14, 2000; and U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 10/020,587, filed Oct. 30, 2001.

The following disclosure describes methods and systems for convertingone form of value into another form of value. “Value,” as used herein,means anything of monetary worth, such as money, credit, time (e.g.,long-distance or cell phone minutes), event and travel tickets,merchandise, and the like. Further, as used throughout this disclosure,the term “card” shall be understood to include both prepaid andnon-prepaid cards, unless the particular context requires otherwise. Theterm “prepaid card” can refer to any instrument useable in commerce inplace of money, or any instrument that entitles the bearer to acquire,utilize, or exhaust any commercially available product or service.Examples of prepaid cards in this context include prepaid credit cards,prepaid cash cards, stored-value cards, in-store credit cards, giftcards, prepaid phone cards, payroll cards, and the like. Throughout thisdisclosure, for ease of reference the term “prepaid cash card” will beunderstood to include at least prepaid cash card, prepaid credit card,and stored-value card. Examples of “non-prepaid” cards can includeconventional credit cards, and the like. Such prepaid and non-prepaidcards typically include at least one of a readable magnetic stripe, barcode, computer/memory chip, smart card chip, and the like.

In one embodiment, the system described herein can receive a randomplurality of coins from a user, count the coins, and, if the userdesires, dispense a prepaid card to the user having a value related tothe total value of the coins received. This prepaid card may then beused by the user, or another person authorized by the user, to pay forgoods and/or services at a variety of different retail locations. Inanother embodiment, the system disclosed herein can dispense a prepaidcard to a user in return for loose coins, paper currency, and/or a validcredit card account number that is provided card to purchase anotherprepaid card. In yet another embodiment, the system disclosed herein candispense a prepaid card to a user in return for funds debited from afinancial institution account (e.g., a savings, checking account, orbrokerage account) that is provided by the user. In yet anotherembodiment, a user may utilize any of the foregoing methods of paymentto “top up” (i.e., to “reload,” “recharge,” or otherwise increase thevalue of) an existing prepaid card. Thus, in accordance with embodimentsof the invention, a user can purchase or top up a prepaid card with 1)cash (loose coins and/or currency); 2) credit (e.g., credit cards, checkcards, etc.); 3) debit (e.g., debit cards, ATM cards, etc.); 4) existingprepaid cards; 5) bank account funds; or 6) any combination of theabove.

The present disclosure, however, is not limited to methods and systemsfor dispensing prepaid cash cards and phone cards to users. To thecontrary, embodiments of the methods and systems disclosed herein canalso include dispensing tickets (such as event and travel tickets),novelty items, and redeemable vouchers to users in return for thevarious forms of payment discussed above. In addition, embodiments ofthe methods and systems disclosed can also include providing accountinformation to users, such as balance information regarding a particularcredit card account, phone card account, on-line account, and the like.

Further, the methods and systems described herein can also be used totransfer funds to an account of a user, to an account of another person,from an account of the user, and/or from an account of another person.Such transactions may include, for example, transferring value to orfrom a bank account, a brokerage account, a credit card account, longdistance phone card account, an on-line payment account, a virtualaccount, and/or a virtual “e wallet.” As used herein, the term “account”shall be taken to mean at least the foregoing types of accounts, unlessthe particular context contradicts such an interpretation. In suchtransactions, the user may receive a receipt documenting the transactioninstead of a card. In one such transaction, the user can utilize any ofthe methods of payment described above to transfer money from oneaccount to another account (e.g., for a person-to-person payment or forbill payment). Similarly, the user may also elect to transfer theproceeds from any such payment to a bank account for direct deposit, toa cell phone account to obtain additional minutes, or to an on-lineaccount (e.g., an “e-wallet”) for on-line purchases.

Certain embodiments of the methods and systems described herein forexchanging one form of value for another form of value are described inthe context of computer-executable instructions performed by ageneral-purpose computer. For example, in one embodiment thesecomputer-executable instructions are stored on a computer-readablemedium, such as a floppy disk or CD-ROM. In other embodiments,instructions are stored on a server computer system and accessed via acommunications link or a computer network, such as an intranet, theInternet, or another computer network. Because the basic structures andfunctions related to computer-readable routines and correspondingimplementations are known, they have not been shown or described indetail here in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the describedembodiments.

Certain specific details are set forth in the following description andin FIGS. 1-9 to provide a thorough understanding of various embodimentsof the invention. Those of ordinary skill in the relevant art willunderstand, however, that the invention may have additional embodimentswhich may be practiced without several of the details described below.In other instances, those of ordinary skill in the relevant art willappreciate that the methods and systems described can include additionaldetails without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosedembodiments. In addition, some well-known structures and systems oftenassociated with card dispensing apparatuses and methods and associatedcomputer networks have not been shown or described in detail below toavoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the various embodimentsof the invention.

In the figures that follow, identical reference numbers identifyidentical or at least generally similar elements. To facilitate thediscussion of any particular element, the most significant digit ordigits in any reference number refers to the figure in which thatelement is first introduced. For example, element 120 is firstintroduced and discussed with reference to FIG. 1. In addition, anydimensions, angles and other specifications shown in the figures aremerely illustrative of particular embodiments of the invention.Accordingly, other embodiments of the invention can have otherdimensions, angles and specifications without departing from the spiritor scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a partially schematic isometric view of a value exchangemachine 100 configured in accordance with an embodiment. In one aspectof this embodiment, the machine 100 includes a coin input region or tray106, a voucher outlet 108, a coin return 110, a coin sorting/countingapparatus 112 (shown schematically), and a communications facility 113(also shown schematically). The machine 100 can further include varioususer-interface devices, such as a first keypad 114, user-selectionbuttons 115, a speaker 116, a display screen 118, and a touch screen117. In another aspect of this embodiment, the foregoing features of thevalue exchange machine 100 can be at least generally similar instructure and function to one or more of their counterparts as describedin the '079 Patent to Molbak. Accordingly, these features can beutilized in various embodiments as described in the '079 Patent toMolbak to provide a redeemable cash voucher to a user in return forcoins deposited by the user in the coin tray 106. In other embodiments,the machine 100 can have other features in other arrangements withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Asdescribed in greater detail below, the machine 100 can also include adrawer assembly 120 that has additional value exchange functionalities.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged front elevation view of the drawer assembly 120 ofFIG. 1 configured in accordance with an embodiment. In an aspect of thisembodiment, the drawer assembly 120 includes a card reader 202, a billacceptor 204, and a second keypad 206 (which may be encrypted). The billacceptor 204 can be configured to receive paper currency (referred toherein simply as “currency”). The card reader 202 can be configured toread all forms of data storage media typically found on wallet-sizedcards, such as conventional credit cards, debit cards, smart cards, andthe like. In addition, in some embodiments, the card reader 202 can alsobe configured to write data to suitable data storage media typicallyfound on such cards. Such data storage media can include one or more ofmagnetic stripes, bar codes, smart chips, and the like. The secondkeypad 206 can be used to enter information often associated with suchcards, including a PIN.

In addition to the foregoing user-interface devices, the drawer assembly120 can also include a number of output devices. For example, the drawerassembly 120 can include a card outlet 208, a ticket outlet 210, and areceipt outlet 212. In the illustrated embodiment, the card outlet 208is a horizontal slot for dispensing cards, such as prepaid cash or phonecards, and other similar items. The ticket outlet 210 of the illustratedembodiment can be a similar horizontal slot for dispensing travel orevent tickets, such as airline tickets or tickets for a basketball gameor a concert. As described in greater detail below, in one embodimentthese tickets may have been reserved, ordered, or prepurchased on-lineby a user over the Internet.

While the aspects and features of the drawer assembly 120 discussedabove are representative of those that may be included as components ofthe value exchange machine 100 of FIG. 1, those of ordinary skill in therelevant art will understand that additional features may be includedwithout departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure.For example, although the drawer assembly 120 of the illustratedembodiment is shown with only one card outlet 208 and one ticket outlet210, in other embodiments more card and ticket outlets may be included,depending on the particular application of the machine 100. Furthermore,in yet other embodiments one or more of the foregoing features may beomitted from the value exchange machine 100 in various applicationswithout departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure.

Use of the value exchange machine 100 to exchange one form of value foranother form of value will now be explained in accordance with a fewexamples. Referring to FIG. 1, in one embodiment transaction options aredisplayed for a user on the display screen 118, and can include one ormore of purchasing a prepaid cash card; purchasing a prepaid phone card;transferring money to an account; topping up an existing credit cardaccount, cash card account, long distance phone card account, orwireless account; receiving a redeemable cash voucher, and/or performingother transfers or purchasing other items. The user can select thedesired transaction or transactions by using the first keypad 114, thetouch screen 117, and/or one or more of the selection buttons 115 inresponse to prompts shown on the display screen 118. If the userselects, for example, to purchase a prepaid cash card, then the machine100 prompts the user to input his/her preferred payment option. In oneembodiment, the user can elect to pay with coins and can deposit aplurality of randomly oriented coins into the tray 106 and hingeablyrotate the tray 106 upwardly to deliver the coins to the coinsorting/counting apparatus 112. The coin sorting/counting apparatus 112then counts the coins and displays the total to the user on the displayscreen 118. If the user accepts this total and, if applicable, anyrelated service fees, then the machine 100 prompts the user to indicatehow much of the total the user wishes to put on the prepaid cash card.Once the user has input this value, the machine 100 dispenses theprepaid cash card to the user via the card outlet 208, assuming the userdeposited enough money to cover the requested value. If any funds areleft over from the transaction, the machine can issue a redeemable cashvoucher to the user for the difference. Alternatively, the user canapply the remaining funds toward another card or service, or transferthe remaining funds to an account, such as a checking or savingsaccount.

In another embodiment, a user may desire to purchase a prepaid cash cardwith an existing credit card. In this embodiment, the user swipes theexisting credit card through the card reader 202 (FIG. 2). After readingthe card, the machine 100 prompts the user to input a PIN or othersecurity code via the second keypad 206. Next, the machine 100 promptsthe user to enter the desired dollar amount of the new prepaid cash cardvia the first keypad 114. After authorizing the transaction (bycommunicating, for example, with a remote bank via the communicationsfacility 113), the machine 100 dispenses the new prepaid cash card tothe user via the card outlet 208. In a further embodiment, the user canpay for a prepaid cash card at least in part by depositing a sufficientnumber of bills into the bill acceptor 204.

In yet another embodiment, a user can purchase a prepaid credit cardwith the machine 100 as follows. First, the user uses the touch screen117, the first keypad 114, and/or the user-selection buttons 115 toselect the prepaid credit card purchase option. In one aspect of thisembodiment, the customer then deposits payment by inserting papercurrency into the bill acceptor 204, depositing coins into the coin tray106 and rotating the tray upwardly to deliver the coins, and/or byswiping a debit or credit card through the card reader 202. In otherembodiments, the customer can deposit payment in other ways. Forexample, in other embodiments, the machine 100 may have a coin inputfeature that differs from the rotatable coin tray 106 without departingfrom the present disclosure. After confirming receipt of the funds, themachine 100 dispenses a receipt or other media (card facsimile, etc.) tothe customer from the receipt outlet 212.

In one aspect of this embodiment, the receipt includes instructionsdirecting the user to call a particular telephone number and activatetheir new prepaid credit card account. Per the instructions, the usercalls the telephone number and activates his/her account by providingcertain personal information, such as name and mailing address. The userthen receives a unique number (such as a 16-digit number for their newprepaid credit card account) from the credit card account issuer overthe telephone. The user can use this number immediately for credit-basedpurchases either by telephone, mail, or the Internet. Further, within afew days, the user receives a personalized, embossed prepaid credit cardvia the mail that can be used anywhere the particular prepaid creditcard is accepted. In addition, the user can also have the option ofattaching a PIN to their new prepaid credit card account that will allowthem to make cash withdrawals at ATMs.

In a slightly different embodiment, a user can purchase a prepaid creditcard with the machine 100 as follows. First, the user uses the touchscreen 117, the keypad 114, and/or the user-selection buttons 115 toselect the purchase of a prepaid credit card. The user then depositspayment by, for example, inserting paper currency into the bill acceptor204, depositing coins into the coin tray 106, and/or by swiping a debitor credit card through the card reader 202. After confirming receipt ofpayment, the machine 100 dispenses the prepaid credit card to the userfrom the card outlet 208. In this embodiment, the card can be usedimmediately anywhere the particular prepaid credit card is accepted.

In a further embodiment, a user can use the machine 100 to “reload” oradd funds to a card (e.g., a cash, credit, or stored-value card). Inthis embodiment, the user utilizes the touch screen 117, the firstkeypad 114, and/or the user-selection buttons 115 to select the “reload”or “recharge” transaction, then swipes the card they would like toreload through the card reader 202. The user then deposits payment forthe reload amount using coin, currency, and/or credit as describedabove. After confirming the receipt of funds, the machine 100 dispensesa receipt to the user via the receipt outlet 212. The funds receivedfrom the user are then credited to the desired card (or associatedaccount), and are available for use immediately or within a relativelyshort time. In this embodiment and the previous embodiment, the user isnot required to place a telephone call to a third-party service, such asa prepaid credit card account issuer, to activate the account.

As mentioned above, a prepaid cash card is only one form of “value” thatcan be output by the machine 100 in return for various forms of monetaryexchange provided by a user. For example, in other embodiments themachine 100 can output tickets from the ticket outlet 210 or prepaidphone cards from the card outlet 208 after receiving sufficient fundsvia one or more of the card reader 202, the bill acceptor 204, or thecoin input tray 106.

In yet another embodiment, a user may elect to use any of the fund inputmethods discussed above to electronically transfer money. In suchtransactions, the user may not receive a card having a value. Instead,the user may receive a receipt or other record documenting thetransaction. For example, in one such transaction the user can utilizeany of the methods of payment described above to transfer money to hisor her account (e.g., a savings, checking, or credit card account) or toan account of another person (e.g., for a person-to-person payment orfor a bill payment). Similarly, the user can also elect to transfer theproceeds from any such payment to a bank account for direct deposit, toa cell phone account (e.g., for long-distance telephone minutes), or toan on-line account (e.g., an “e-wallet”) for on-line purchases.

In a further embodiment, a user can top up a phone account (e.g., a longdistance calling card account or a wireless account) with the machine100. In one aspect of this embodiment, the display screen 118 canpresent or display a prompt or menu to the user asking if he or shewould like to top up their phone card account. If so, the user selectshis or her carrier and/or enters the corresponding account number orphone number. (In another embodiment, the user can swipe his/her cardthrough the card reader 202 to have the account number read from thecard.) For a PIN-based transaction, the user selects a predefined dollaramount to add to his/her account and then deposits money or other fundsinto the machine 100 in one of the ways described above. For example, inone embodiment, the user can deposit currency via the bill acceptor 204.In another embodiment, the user can deposit coins via the coin tray 106.After depositing the funds, the user receives a printout or receipt witha PIN via the receipt outlet 212. The user then calls the carrier andenters the PIN to activate the additional minutes added to his/heraccount. In another embodiment, the user has the option of selectingeither a predefined dollar amount of minutes or entering a specificdollar amount he/she wishes to add to his/her account. In thisembodiment, once the user has inserted his or her payment, the userreceives a receipt confirming the transaction and the funds areimmediately credited to the user's phone card account. As will beappreciated by those of ordinary skill in the relevant art, in otherembodiments the machine 100 can be used in other ways to purchase or topup cards or associated accounts without departing from the spirit orscope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a routine 300 for exchangingvarious forms of value with the value exchange machine 100 of FIG. 1. Inblock 301, the user selects one or more forms of value desired asoutput. For example, a user can select any combination of redeemablecash voucher, prepaid cash card, gift card, phone card, ticket or othermerchandise, etc. In addition or alternatively, the user may elect totransfer funds to or from an existing account, for example, to pay off acredit card balance; to increase funds in a checking, savings, orbrokerage account; to add time to a long distance account; for aperson-to-person payment; or for an “e-wallet.” Similarly, the user mayelect to “top up” an existing prepaid cash card or cell phone accountwith additional value or minutes, respectively. Further, the user mayelect to donate any portion of the deposited value to a nonprofitorganization.

In block 302, the machine 100 accepts one or more types of funds fromthe user. As explained above, funds can include any combination ofcoins, currency, credit card, debit card, gift card, existing prepaidcash card or phone card, etc. If a credit card is used for payment, themachine 100 validates the credit card and obtains authorization to debitthe funds from the credit card account or accounts. In one embodiment,this is accomplished by communication between the machine 100 and one ormore remote computers via the communications facility 113. The remotecomputers can access one or more financial institutions that control theauthorization and debiting/crediting of credit card accounts. In block303, the machine 100 receives authorization for the desiredtransaction(s) from the remote computers and dispenses the new form ofvalue (e.g., a prepaid cash card, phone card, redeemable cash voucher,cash, event tickets, and/or associated transaction confirmation numbers)to the user. If the transaction involved topping up an existing card,then the user receives confirmation that the value associated with thecard has been increased. Similarly, if the transaction involved atransfer of money to an account, then the user receives confirmationthat the transfer has occurred.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the various forms of value that areexchangeable with the value exchange machine 100 in accordance with anembodiment. User-provided inputs are shown on the left side of FIG. 4and can include coins, currency, or credit from cash cards, creditcards, debit cards, gift cards, bank account transfers, brokerageaccount transfers, on-line transactions, and the like. Outputs from themachine 100 are shown on the right side of FIG. 4 and can includeprepaid cards (e.g., cash and credit cards), redeemable vouchers, phonecards, tickets (e.g., event tickets or travel tickets), currency (e.g.,leftover change from a transaction), gift cards (e.g., giftcertificates), novelty cards (e.g., baseball cards or similar items),smart cards (e.g., stored-value cards that contain a record of monetaryvalue on the card itself), and/or account transfers. Input to themachine 100 may include any combination of the inputs shown in FIG. 4,and output may include any combination of the outputs shown in FIG. 4.In other embodiments shown by the dotted line 402 in FIG. 4, one or moreof the listed outputs may also be used as inputs. For example, in oneother embodiment a user can convert a prepaid card to cash bysurrendering the card to the machine or by swiping the card andinstructing the machine to dispense either cash or a redeemable voucherequivalent to the value remaining on the card. In a further embodiment,a user can transfer money from a bank account to a card.

In yet other embodiments, a user can access account information with themachine 100. For example, in one aspect of this embodiment, the user canswipe a card and determine the amount of funds (or phone minutes in thecase of phone cards) remaining on the card or in an associated account.In all the foregoing embodiments, the operator of the value exchangemachine may elect to charge the user a fee for performing the desiredtransaction.

FIGS. 5-9 and the associated discussion provide a brief, generaldescription of a suitable computing environment in which aspects of theinvention can be implemented. Although not required, embodiments of theinvention are described in the general context of computer-executableinstructions, such as routines executed by a general purpose computer(e.g., a server or personal computer). Those of ordinary skill in therelevant art will appreciate that aspects of the invention can bepracticed with other computer system configurations, including Internetappliances, hand-held devices, wearable computers, cellular or mobilephones, multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based or programmableconsumer electronics, set-top boxes, network PCs, mini-computers,mainframe computers, and the like. Further, aspects of the invention canbe embodied in a special-purpose computer or data processor that isspecifically programmed, configured, or constructed to perform one ormore of the computer-executable instructions described in detail below.Indeed, the term “computer,” as used generally herein, refers to any ofthe above-mentioned devices, as well as any data processor. In addition,throughout the discussion that follows, the term “web site” or similarwill be understood to include, where required by the context, theassociated server computer, databases, and other known structures andfunctions required to implement a web site.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating components of a value exchangesystem 500 configured in accordance with an embodiment. In one aspect ofthis embodiment, one or more value exchange machines 100 are connectedto a server computer 502 via a first communications link 504. The valueexchange machines 100 of this embodiment can be at least generallysimilar to the value exchange machine 100 discussed above with referenceto FIGS. 1-4. The first communications link 504 may be a radio frequency(RF) communications link (e.g., wireless communications link), a modem,a computer network (such as a local area network (LAN)) an intranet, orthe Internet. In another aspect of this embodiment, the firstcommunications link 504 can also include or be associated with a “host”computer that receives communications from the value exchange machine(s)100 and sends corresponding communications to appropriate recipientcomputers to carry out various aspects of the value exchange system 500.

In a further aspect of this embodiment, the server computer 502 isconnected to a financial institution computer 506. The financialinstitution computer 506 can be configured to facilitate the electronictransfer of funds between various financial accounts and/orinstitutions. For example, the financial institution computer 506, inone embodiment, can communicate with a credit card institution tofacilitate the debiting and crediting of a credit card account. In otherembodiments, the financial institution computer 506 can communicate witha bank, credit union, or brokerage firm to facilitate the debiting andcrediting of various types of accounts typically found in suchinstitutions. Similarly, in another embodiment, the financialinstitution computer 506 can communicate with a prepaid card-issuinginstitution to facilitate management of prepaid card accounts. Inanother aspect of this embodiment, the server computer 502 can beconnected to one or more POS computers 510. The POS computers 510 can belocated at retail outlets where users of the value exchange machine(s)100 use their prepaid cash or credit cards to pay for goods and/orservices.

In one embodiment, a user wishing to purchase, for example, a prepaidcash card, visits one of the value exchange machines 100 at, forexample, a retail outlet, and selects the desired transaction. If theuser wishes to purchase the prepaid card using an existing credit card,the user “swipes” the existing credit card through the card reader 202(FIG. 2) on the machine 100. After the user has entered any necessarycodes or PINs, transaction information routes via the firstcommunications link 504 to the server computer 502. The server computer502 can then communicate with the financial institution computer 506 toauthorize the transaction on the user's credit card account. If thefinancial institution computer 506 validates the transaction, it sendsan authorization to the machine 100 to issue the user a prepaid cashcard for the desired amount. In one aspect of this embodiment, inresponse to receiving the authorization, a card dispenser positionedwithin the machine 100 receives a card from an associated card hopper,reads an identification number off the card, and dispenses the card tothe user. The machine 100 sends the card number to the server computer502, and the server computer 502 updates a database with the card numberand the associated value of the card, noting that that particular cardis now active for usage. In this example, the server computer 502 canreceive both card purchase transaction data and card “top up”transaction data originating from the machine 100.

In another aspect of this embodiment, a card value (e.g., dollar valueor minutes) associated with a card number is stored in a database, andthe database is updated to reflect the reduction in value that occurseach time the card is used to purchase goods and/or services. Forexample, when a user, or someone the user has authorized, presents thecard at a POS to purchase goods and/or services, the POS computer 510communicates with the server computer 502 to receive authorization forthe transaction. The server computer 502 determines if the card numberis active and if the card contains enough value to cover the desiredpurchase. If the transaction is authorized and concluded, then theserver computer 502 updates the database with the present value of thecard. Although the server computer 502 is illustrated as a singlecomputer in FIG. 5, in other embodiments the function of the servercomputer 502 can be provided by two or more computers without departingfrom the spirit or scope of this disclosure. For example, in one suchembodiment a first computer will provide the authorization function bycommunicating with various financial institutions, and a second computerwill maintain and update the databases containing card usage informationand status.

In another embodiment of the value exchange system 500, the value of acard (e.g., a “smart card”) may be recorded (i.e., written) directly onthe card itself (e.g., with a computer memory/processor on the card) anddecremented each time the card is used. In this embodiment, the valueexchange machine 100 can both read and write to cards and, accordingly,access to one or both of the server computer 502 and the financialinstitution computer 506 may not be required. For example, in oneembodiment, the user selects the desired type of card (e.g., a prepaidcash card), and inputs funds (e.g., by depositing coins and/or cash). Inthis embodiment, after counting the funds received from the user toarrive at a value, the machine 100 can write that particular value to anew card and dispense the card to the user. In another embodiment, theuser may desire to add value to an existing “smart card,” “stored-valuecard,” or the like. In this embodiment, after inputting his/her funds,the user can submit the existing smart card to the machine 100 to havethe additional value written directly to the card (i.e., to “recharge”or “reload” the card). In either embodiment, when the card issubsequently used in commerce, a card writer at the POS can decrementthe card for the amount of the particular purchase.

The value exchange system 500 can include other functionalities inaddition to those discussed above. For example, in one embodiment thevalue exchange system 500 allows a user to access an account web site530 from a remote general-purpose user computer 520, such as a personalcomputer. In one aspect of this embodiment, the account web site 530 ishosted by the card server 502 and can be accessed over a secondcommunications link 526. The second communications link 526 can be theInternet or another computer network. In another embodiment, the secondcommunications link 526 and the first communications link 504 can be thesame communications link. For example, in this embodiment, both thefirst and second communications links 504 and 526 can be the Internet.The account web site 530 can allow users to remotely conduct thefollowing transactions: register new cash cards, obtain balanceinquiries, add value to existing cards, review recent transactionhistory, and/or purchase new cards.

In addition to the foregoing, a user can also utilize the value exchangesystem 500 to pick up tickets and other items reserved or purchasedon-line. In this embodiment, the user first accesses a ticket seller website 540 to reserve or purchase tickets and receive a ticket reservationnumber. The user can then visit a conveniently located machine 100 andenter the reservation number and/or a PIN. The machine 100 thencommunicates with the ticket seller web site 540 via the firstcommunications link 504 to obtain authorization to dispense the tickets.After obtaining the authorization, the machine 100 dispenses the ticketsto the user.

While selected aspects of the value exchange system 500 have beendescribed above for purposes of illustration, those of ordinary skill inthe relevant art will appreciate that various other functionalities canbe combined with this system in accordance with this disclosure tofurther enhance the utility of the system. For example, other types ofinformational- or transactional-based web sites can be accessed via thevalue exchange machine 500 to obtain yet other forms of data and/oraccomplish other forms of transaction. For example, the machine 100 canaccess a novelty card web site 542 to obtain authorization to dispensenovelty items or cards, such as baseball cards. Further, a phone cardweb site 541 can also be included in the system 500 to provide theinfrastructure necessary for the user to purchase or recharge prepaidphone cards from the machine 100 as described above.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a routine 600 implemented by thevalue exchange system 500 of FIG. 5 in one embodiment. In block 602, auser selects one or more desired transactions at the machine 100 (FIG.1). In one aspect of this embodiment, the user may elect to performmultiple transactions with multiple types of input and receive multipletypes of output. In block 604, the machine 100 prompts the user for themethod or methods of payment. As discussed in detail above, the user mayelect to pay for the transaction with coins, currency, credit card,debit card, checking or savings account transfers, or value prepaid overthe Internet. In block 606, in one embodiment, the machine displays afee associated with the selected transaction. In block 608, the useraccepts or rejects the fee. If the user accepts the fee, in block 610,the user is prompted to enter his/her form of payment into the machine100. In block 612, the machine 100 accepts the payment from the user,and in block 614, the machine 100 verifies the payment method.

In block 616, the machine 100 communicates with a host computer, e.g.,the server computer 502 of FIG. 5, to initiate the transaction. Theserver computer 502 authorizes the transaction via the financialinstitution computer 506 and one or more of a bank, a credit cardinstitution, a debit card institution, or a prepaid phone card-issuinginstitution, as required. In block 618, the server computer 502 returnsa unique code to the machine 100 that can be utilized to verify orreconcile the transaction.

In block 620, the machine 100 outputs the results of the transaction tothe user. As explained above, the output can include a cash redeemablevoucher, a prepaid credit card or cash card, a prepaid phone card,and/or an event or travel ticket. In block 622, the machine 100 prints areceipt and issues it to the user for his/her records. In the event theuser is “topping up” an existing credit card or phone card, ortransferring money to or from an account, the user will receive areceipt documenting the money transfer. It will be apparent to those ofordinary skill in the art that any combination of the foregoingtransactional outputs is possible in accordance with this disclosure.

FIGS. 7-9 are flow diagrams that together illustrate a routine forconducting a transaction with the machine 100 of FIG. 1 in accordancewith an embodiment. Referring first to FIG. 7, FIG. 7 is a flow diagramillustrating a routine 700 for receiving a transaction selection from auser in one embodiment. In block 702, the user is prompted to select atransaction type or option. As illustrated in blocks 703, the user canselect from numerous transaction options that include: obtaining a newprepaid card (block 704), reloading or “topping up” an existing prepaidcard (block 706 a), obtaining a redeemable cash voucher (block 708),obtaining a prepaid phone card (block 710), obtaining a ticket or otheritem previously reserved and/or paid for over the Internet (block 712a), adding minutes to an existing cell phone account (block 714 a),adding time to an existing long distance account (block 715 a), ortransferring money to an account (block 716 a). After the user hasselected the desired transaction, the machine may prompt the user foradditional information. For example, if the user elects to reload aprepaid card (block 706 a), then in block 706 b the user is prompted toswipe the card through the card reader 202 (FIG. 2). In so doing, themachine 100 reads the card and verifies its validity by communicatingwith one or more internal or remote databases, as explained above.Similarly, if the user elects to receive a ticket previously orderedover the Internet (block 712 a), then in block 712 b the user isprompted for an associated reservation number. Once the reservationnumber has been entered, in block 712 c the user is prompted for a PIN.After receiving the PIN, in block 712 d the machine 100 verifies the PINand the availability of the ticket. If instead the user elects totransfer money from, for example, a first account to a second account(block 716 a), then in block 716 b user is prompted to enter an accountnumber for the first account from which the money will be withdrawn. Inaddition, in block 716 c the user may be prompted for a PIN associatedwith the first account. After this information has been entered, inblock 716 d the machine 100 prompts the user for an account number forthe second account into which the money will be deposited. In block 716e, the user may be prompted for a PIN associated with second account.After this information has been entered, in block 716 f the machine 100verifies the respective account numbers and, if applicable, therespective PINs. If the user will be depositing the funds for transferto the second account instead of withdrawing them from the firstaccount, then the user selects this option and does not enter a firstaccount number.

In block 718, the user is prompted to select another transaction type ifthere is more than one transaction the user wishes to perform. If theuser does wish to perform a second transaction, the routine returns toblock 702 and the user is prompted to select a second type oftransaction. If the user does not wish to perform a second transaction,then in block 720 the user indicates that he/she is done selectingtransaction types. In block 722, the machine determines whether it needsto collect any funds from the user for the selected transaction(s). Ifthe machine determines that the user needs to deposit funds for thetransaction, then the routine 700 proceeds to routine 800 shown in FIG.8. Otherwise, the routine 700 proceeds to routine 900 shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating the routine 800 for inputtingvarious forms of payment in one embodiment. In block 802, a user isprompted for a payment method. As illustrated in blocks 803, the usercan select from numerous forms of payment. For example, the user mayelect to pay for the transaction with cash (e.g., dollar bills) (block804 a), coins (e.g., a plurality of randomly oriented coins) (block 806a), credit (block 808 a), debit (block 810 a), and/or funds from varioustypes of payment accounts (block 812 a). If the user elects to pay withcash as in block 804 a, then in block 804 b the user is prompted tobegin inserting bills into the bill acceptor 204 (FIG. 2). As the useris inserting bills, in block 804 c a running total of the bills insertedand accepted is displayed, for example, on the screen 118 of the machine100 shown in FIG. 1. In block 804 d, the user is prompted to indicatewhen he/she is done inserting bills.

If the user elects to pay for the transaction with coins as in block 806a, then in block 806 b the user is instructed to deposit the coins, forexample, by placing them in the coin tray 106 of the machine 100 shownin FIG. 1 and rotating the tray 106 upwardly to deliver the coins to thecoin sorting/counting apparatus 112. In block 806 c, a running total ofthe coins that have been deposited and counted is displayed, forexample, on the screen 118. The user is then prompted in block 806 d toindicate when all of the coins have been deposited. If the user electsto pay for the transaction with credit as in block 808 a, then in block808 b the user is instructed to swipe their credit card through the cardreader 202. In block 808 c, the user may be instructed to enter anumber, such as his/her zip code, to verify the account. After swipingthe credit card or otherwise entering the account information, in block808 d, the user is prompted to enter the amount that the user wishes tocharge to the credit card account. Once the user has input thisinformation, in block 808 e, the machine 100 contacts the servercomputer 502 (FIG. 5) to preauthorize use of the credit card for theamount requested, as explained above.

If the user elects to pay for the selected transaction with a debit cardas in block 810 a, then in block 810 b the user is instructed to swipethe debit card through the card reader 202. The user is then instructedin block 810 c to enter a debit card PIN to verify user authorization.After entering the PIN, in block 810 d the user is prompted to enter theamount to debit the associated account for the selected transaction.After this information has been entered, in block 810 e the machine 100communicates with the server computer 502 to authorize use of theaccount for the amount of the debit. If instead the user elects to payfor the selected transaction by transferring money from an account asshown in block 812 a, then in block 812 b the user is prompted to enterthe number of the account. In block 812 c, the user may also be promptedto enter a PIN associated with the account.

In decision block 814, after the user has entered the first form ofpayment and any other necessary information, the user is prompted as towhether they wish to include an additional form of payment. If the userwishes to use an additional form of payment for the selectedtransaction, then the routine 800 returns to block 802. If the user isfinished entering payment, then the routine proceeds to the routine 900shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating a routine 900 for completing aselected transaction in one embodiment. In block 902, the machine 100displays the fees associated with the selected transaction for viewingby the user. In decision block 904, the user accepts or rejects thefees. If the user rejects the fees, then in block 905 the routinereturns any funds received from the user back to the user and theroutine is complete. If the user accepts the fees, then in decisionblock 906 the routine determines if the user elected to receive aredeemable cash voucher. If so, then in block 907 the machine prints thecash voucher and dispenses it to the user. If, instead, the user electedto receive a prepaid card (e.g., for cash, credit, or phone minutes),receive a preordered ticket, transfer money, etc., then in block 908 themachine contacts a host computer (e.g., the server computer 502 of FIG.5) to provide account information to authorize the transaction, createan account, or transfer account data. In block 910, the host computerperforms the necessary transactions with, for example, a financialinstitution or a phone card-issuing institution, and returns thenecessary authorization data to the machine 100.

Once the transaction has been authorized, the machine 100 issues thedesired output to the user according to one of the blocks 911. Forexample, if the user selected a prepaid cash card or phone card, themachine 100 dispenses the selected type of card to the user via the cardoutlet 208 shown in FIG. 2. Similarly, if the user selected a ticket,the machine 100 dispenses it to the user via the ticket outlet 210 shownin FIG. 2. In decision block 912, the machine 100 verifies that it hasperformed all of the transactions requested by the user. If the machine100 has not completed the requested transactions, then the routine 900returns to block 902 and repeats. If all the requested transactions havebeen performed, then in block 914 the machine 100 prints a receipt witha unique transaction number and issues it to the user. In block 916, ifany currency is left over from the selected transaction, the machine 100dispenses it to the user from the coin return slot 110 shown in FIG. 1.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that although specificembodiments of the value exchange system 500 (FIG. 5) and the valueexchange machine 100 (FIG. 1) are described for purposes ofillustration, other embodiments can be implemented without departingfrom the spirit or scope of this disclosure. For example, in one otherembodiment, in addition to providing various services to users via thevalue exchange machine 100, the system can also provide variousfunctionalities to a remote user operating a general-purpose computer,such as the user computer 520 (FIG. 5). In this alternate embodiment,the user can access various on-line web sites to purchase or reservevarious products. For example, a user may visit the ticket seller website 540 to purchase tickets for an event and pay for the tickets with acredit card. In this embodiment, the ticket seller web site 540 thenmakes the purchase information available to the machine 100 so the usermay then visit the machine 100 to receive the actual tickets. In anotherembodiment, the user can order the tickets on-line at the ticket sellerweb site 540 and pay for the tickets by depositing funds into themachine 100 at the time of receipt.

In a further embodiment, a user can access a telephone carrier web site541 from the user computer 520 (FIG. 5), and pre-purchase a longdistance calling card or a wireless phone card on-line. The user can payfor the card on-line (with, e.g., a credit card account) and thenreceive a unique code or PIN once payment is authorized. In one aspectof this embodiment, the user may then visit the machine 100 and enterhis/her code to receive the card. In a similar embodiment, the user canreserve the card on-line, but not pay for the card until visiting themachine 100.

In yet another embodiment, long distance minutes may be stored on aparticular long distance calling card, much like a “stored value card.”In this embodiment, a user can access the telephone carrier web site 541and pre-purchase additional minutes to put on the card. The user can payfor the additional minutes on line (with, e.g., a credit card account)and then receive a unique code or PIN once payment is confirmed. In oneaspect of this embodiment, the user may then visit the machine 100 andenter his/her long distance account number (by, e.g., swiping his/hercard) and/or the PIN. The carrier web site 541 can then communicate withthe machine 100 and send the corresponding “top up” data to the machine100. The machine 100 can then add the additional prepaid phone minutesto the user's phone card. In yet another embodiment, communicationbetween the various web sites and the value exchange machines isfacilitated by a “host” computer that first receives a communicationfrom the web site and then sends the communication to the respectivevalue exchange machine. These and other changes may be made to theinvention in light of the above detailed description.

In still further embodiments, the methods and systems described hereincan be used to obtain various types of information. Such information caninclude, for example, account balance information (e.g., for credit cardaccounts, checking and savings accounts, cell phone minutes, brokerageaccounts, on-line accounts, and the like). Such information can alsoinclude salary or other employment information. For example, if aparticular employer distributes employee pay in the form of prepaid cashcards, then the employees can utilize the machines 100 to obtain accountbalance information. Additionally, the employees could utilize themachine 100 in one or more ways as described above to transfer portionsof their wages to other accounts for, e.g., bill payment or aperson-to-person money transfer. In yet another embodiment, theemployees could use the machine 100 to convert a portion of their cashcard to a redeemable cash voucher that can be redeemed for cash or usedto purchase goods and/or services at a POS.

The above detailed descriptions of embodiments of the invention are notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise formdisclosed above. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, theinvention are described above for illustrative purposes, variousequivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention,as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. For example, whilesteps are presented in a given order, alternative embodiments mayperform routines having steps in a different order. The teachings of theinvention provided herein can be applied to other systems, notnecessarily the value exchange system described herein. These and otherchanges can be made to the invention in light of the above detaileddescription.

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the abovedescription and the following claims, the words “comprise,”“comprising,” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense asopposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in thesense of “including, but not limited to.” Words using the singular orplural number also include the plural or singular number respectively.Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below” and words of similarimport, when used in this application, shall refer to this applicationas a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. Whenthe claims use the word “or” in reference to a list of two or moreitems, that word covers all of the following interpretations of theword: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list, andany combination of the items in the list. All of the above U.S. patentsand applications and other references described above are incorporatedherein by reference.

These and other changes can be made to the invention in light of theabove detailed description. In general, the terms used in the followingclaims should not be construed to limit the invention to the specificembodiments disclosed in the specification, unless the above detaileddescription explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scopeof the invention encompasses the disclosed embodiments and allequivalent ways of practicing or implementing the invention under theclaims.

While certain aspects of the invention are presented below in certainclaim forms, the inventors contemplate the various aspects of theinvention in any number of claim forms. For example, if only one aspectof the invention is recited below as embodied in a computer-readablemedium, the inventors contemplate that other aspects may likewise beembodied in a computer-readable medium. Accordingly, the inventorsreserve the right to add additional claims after filing the applicationto pursue such additional claim forms for other aspects of theinvention. The invention is not limited, except as by the followingclaims.

1. A method for exchanging prepaid gift cards for value, the methodcomprising: providing a consumer operated kiosk having a card readingdevice and a user interface; receiving gift card information from a uservia at least one of the card reading device and the user interface,wherein the gift card information is associated with a first gift cardfor making purchases at one or more retail establishments; verifying agift card balance based on the gift card information; displaying firstand second transaction options to the user, wherein the firsttransaction option corresponds to exchanging the first gift card forcash value and the second transaction option corresponds to exchangingthe first gift card for a second gift card; receiving a user selectioncorresponding to at least one of the first transaction option and thesecond transaction option; when the user selection corresponds to thefirst transaction option, dispensing the cash value to the user in theform of at least one of cash and a redeemable voucher; and when the userselection corresponds to the second transaction option, dispensing thesecond gift card to the user.
 2. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: receiving the first gift card from the user; and debitingthe gift card balance from the first gift card.
 3. The method of claim1, further comprising: receiving the first gift card from the user; andretaining the gift card in the kiosk.
 4. The method of claim 1, whereinthe first gift card is a first prepaid gift card for making purchases ata first retail establishment, and wherein the second gift card is asecond prepaid gift card for making purchases at a second retailestablishment, different from the first retail establishment.
 5. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising: displaying a gift card exchangevalue to the user, wherein the gift card exchange value is related tothe gift card balance but is less than the gift card balance; and whenthe user selection corresponds to the first transaction option,dispensing the gift card exchange value to the user in the form of atleast one of cash and a redeemable voucher.
 6. The method of claim 1wherein the first gift card is a first prepaid gift card for makingpurchases at a first retail establishment, wherein the user is a firstuser, and wherein the method further comprises: adding the balance ofthe first gift card to a database; receiving a gift card selection froma second user; dispensing a third gift card to the second user inresponse to receiving the gift card selection, wherein the third giftcard is a prepaid gift card for making purchases up to a selected valueat the first retail establishment; and decrementing the selected valuefrom the database.
 7. The method of claim 1 wherein dispensing the cashvalue to the user includes dispensing the cash value to the user in theform of at least one of cash, a redeemable voucher, and a transfer offunds into a user account at a financial institution.
 8. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: receiving information from a credit cardvia at least one of the card reading device and the user interface; andidentifying the user with the information from the credit card.
 9. Themethod of claim 1 wherein the gift card balance is a first gift cardbalance, and wherein the method further comprises: receiving additionalgift card information from the user via at least one of the card readingdevice and the user interface, wherein the additional gift cardinformation is associated with a third gift card for making purchases atone or more preselected retail establishments; verifying a second giftcard balance based on the additional gift card information; displaying agift card exchange value to the user, wherein the gift card exchangevalue is related to the first gift card balance and the second gift cardbalance, but is less than a sum of the first gift card balance and thesecond gift card balance; and when the user selection corresponds to thefirst transaction option, dispensing the gift card exchange value to theuser in the form of at least one of cash and a redeemable voucher. 10.The method of claim 1 wherein the card reading device includes a cardscanner.
 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising printing andactivating the second gift card when the user selection corresponds tothe second transaction option.
 12. The method of claim 1 wherein thefirst gift card is a first prepaid gift card, wherein the user is afirst user, and wherein the method further comprises: adding the balanceassociated with the first gift card to inventory; receiving a gift cardselection from a second user; and dispensing a third gift card havingthe balance associated with the first gift card to the second user inresponse to receiving the gift card selection.
 13. The method of claim 1wherein the first gift card is a first prepaid gift card, wherein theuser is a first user, and wherein the method further comprises: addingthe first gift card to inventory; receiving a gift card selection from asecond user; and dispensing the first gift card to the second user inresponse to receiving the gift card selection.
 14. A consumer operatedkiosk system, comprising: a card reading device and a user interface;means for receiving gift card information from a user via at least oneof the card reading device and the user interface, wherein the gift cardinformation is associated with a first gift card for making purchases atone or more retail establishments; means for verifying a gift cardbalance based on the gift card information; means for displaying firstand second transaction options to the user, wherein the firsttransaction option corresponds to exchanging the first gift card forcash value and the second transaction option corresponds to exchangingthe first gift card for a second gift card; means for receiving a userselection corresponding to at least one of the first transaction optionand the second transaction option; means for dispensing the cash valueto the user in the form of at least one of cash and a redeemablevoucher, when the user selection corresponds to the first transactionoption; and means for dispensing the second gift card to the user, whenthe user selection corresponds to the second transaction option.
 15. Thesystem of claim 14, wherein the first gift card is a first prepaid giftcard for making purchases at a first retail establishment, and whereinthe second gift card is a second prepaid gift card for making purchasesat a second retail establishment, different from the first retailestablishment.
 16. The system of claim 14 wherein the first gift card isa first prepaid gift card for making purchases at a first retailestablishment, wherein the user is a first user, and wherein the systemfurther comprises: means for adding the balance of the first gift cardto a database; means for receiving a gift card selection from a seconduser; means for dispensing a third gift card to the second user inresponse to receiving the gift card selection, wherein the third giftcard is a prepaid gift card for making purchases up to a selected valueat the first retail establishment; and means for decrementing theselected value from the database.
 17. The system of claim 14, furthercomprising means for printing and activating the second gift card whenthe user selection corresponds to the second transaction option.
 18. Thesystem of claim 14 wherein the first gift card is a first prepaid giftcard, wherein the user is a first user, and wherein the system furthercomprises: means for adding the first gift card to an inventory; meansfor receiving a gift card selection from a second user; and means fordispensing the first gift card to the second user in response toreceiving the gift card selection.
 19. A computer readable medium forcontrolling a consumer operated kiosk having a card reading device and auser interface, the computer readable medium containing instructions forcausing the consumer operated kiosk to perform a method comprising:receiving gift card information from a user via at least one of the cardreading device and the user interface, wherein the gift card informationis associated with a first gift card for making purchases at one or moreretail establishments; verifying a gift card balance based on the giftcard information; displaying first and second transaction options to theuser, wherein the first transaction option corresponds to exchanging thefirst gift card for cash value and the second transaction optioncorresponds to exchanging the first gift card for a second gift card;receiving a user selection corresponding to at least one of the firsttransaction option and the second transaction option; when the userselection corresponds to the first transaction option, dispensing thecash value to the user in the form of at least one of cash and aredeemable voucher; and when the user selection corresponds to thesecond transaction option, dispensing the second gift card to the user.20. The computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein the method furthercomprises: receiving information from a credit card via at least one ofthe card reading device and the user interface; and identifying the userwith the information from the credit card.
 21. The computer readablemedium of claim 19 wherein the method further comprises: receivingadditional gift card information from the user via at least one of thecard reading device and the user interface, wherein the additional giftcard information is associated with a third gift card for makingpurchases at one or more preselected retail establishments; verifying asecond gift card balance based on the additional gift card information;displaying a gift card exchange value to the user, wherein the gift cardexchange value is related to the first gift card balance and the secondgift card balance, but is less than a sum of the first gift card balanceand the second gift card balance; and when the user selectioncorresponds to the first transaction option, dispensing the gift cardexchange value to the user in the form of at least one of cash and aredeemable voucher.
 22. The computer readable medium of claim 19 whereinthe first gift card is a first prepaid gift card, wherein the user is afirst user, and wherein the method further comprises: adding the balanceassociated with the first gift card to inventory; receiving a gift cardselection from a second user; and dispensing a third gift card havingthe balance associated with the first gift card to the second user inresponse to receiving the gift card selection.
 23. The computer readablemedium of claim 19 wherein the method further comprises: receiving thefirst gift card from the user; and debiting the gift card balance fromthe first gift card.
 24. The computer readable medium of claim 19wherein the method further comprises: displaying a gift card exchangevalue to the user, wherein the gift card exchange value is related tothe gift card balance but is less than the gift card balance; anddispensing the gift card exchange value to the user in the form of atleast one of cash and a redeemable voucher, when the user selectioncorresponds to the first transaction option.